Tom Cruise thrills fans in Toronto: 'I remember in Ottawa I used to do flips off the roof'

By Michael Killingsworth

July 28, 2015

Mission: Impossible films are always a thrill. But the premiere event for the fifth installment of the franchise, Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation, was especially exciting for fans, thanks to a special appearance from none other than leading man Tom Cruise.

Following the screening of the action flick (set to open July 31), Tom and the film’s writer-director, Oscar winner Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects), took the stage at Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto to take part in a Q&A session (streamed to viewers in Cineplex audiences across the country).

Tom, looking fit and dapper like his alter ego Ethan Hunt, fielded questions on everything from his passion for producing to his professional relationship with frequent collaborator Christopher, but it’s the action sequences he’s famous for that had fans abuzz.

“It’s really satisfying to make these movies because they’re so challenging,” said the star, reflecting on the spectacular stunt work he took on for the feature film, including one breathtaking scene that has him clinging to the outside of an Airbus A400 during takeoff. “The reason I do those things is I want to entertain you. And I want to put you in the film -- and on the edge of your seat.” Which isn’t to say that fear doesn’t come into play in shooting such a scene. “There’s a little bit of panic, but it helps the performance,” he said with a laugh.

Tom and constant collaborator Christopher McQuarrie treated the audience to a Q&A

Tom, 53, loves action, though, and admitted there was always a bit of a daredevil in him, even as a child when he spent some formative years growing up in Ontario. “I remember in Ottawa I used to do flips off the roof,” said Tom, reminiscing on childhood antics. “That was the first time I broke my leg! I landed right on the sidewalk.”

Today stunts are all in a day’s work for Tom, who left the stage to cheers from fans and having all but confirmed that there’s reason to look forward to even more derring-do from super-spy Ethan. While the next film we’ll see from Tom is the suspense-comedy Mena, set for release in 2017 (“we literally just finished [shooting] the film a week ago Saturday"), he’s already thinking about the future of the Mission: Impossible franchise. “I’m hoping [Christopher] will direct the next one, too… It would be fun!”